Miss Anna Forrest. Puppa
fetched you over from the station. You came quick. Puppa was driving
Strawberry Molly that day. No one can do it as quick as her." Then,
with a critical glance, "I can ride her. Can you ride?"

"No, indeed, I can't," replied Anna. "But won't you show me your cows?"

"Why, it isn't milking-time!" said Daisy, lifting her brows with a
little surprise; "they're all out in the field." She considered Anna
thoughtfully for a moment, and then added, jerking her head towards the
next gate, "Won't you come and sit on that gate? I often sit on that
gate. Most every evening."

The invitation was made with so much friendliness that Anna could not
refuse it.

"I can't stay long," she said, "but I don't mind a little while."

Arrived at the gate, Daisy pushed mug and plate into Anna's hands.

"Hold 'em a minute," she said, as she climbed nimbly up and disposed
herself comfortably on the top bar. "Now"--smoothing her pinafore
tightly over her knees--"give 'em to me, and come up and sit alongside,
and we'll have 'em together. That'll be fine."

Anna was by no means so active and neat in her movements as her
companion, for she was not used to climbing gates; but after some
struggles, watched by Daisy with a chuckle of amusement, she succeeded
in placing herself at her side. In this position they sat facing the
Vicarage garden at the end of the field. It looked quite near, and Anna
hoped that Aunt Sarah might not happen to come this way just at present.

"How nice it is to sit on a gate!" she said; "I never climbed a gate
before."

Daisy stared.

"Never climbed a gate before!" she repeated; "why ever not?"

"Well, you see, I've always lived in a town," said Anna, "where you
don't need to climb gates."

Daisy nodded.

"I know," she said, "like Dornton. Now there's two lots of bread and
butter, one for me and one for you, and we must take turns to drink.
You first."

"But I've had tea, thank you," said Anna. "I won't take any of yours."

Daisy looked a little cast down at this refusal, but soon set to work
heartily on her simple meal alone, stopping in the intervals of her
bites and sups to ask and answer questions.

"Was the town you lived in _nicer_ than Dornton?" she asked.

"It was not a bit like it," replied Anna. "Much, much larger. And
always full of carts, and carriages, and people."

"My!" exclaimed Daisy. "Any shops?"

"Lots and lots. And at night, when they were